posted
Hi. I started levaquin last week. My LLMD has me on 1- 500 mg pill just 2 times a week. I also have been on IV rocephin and tindimax for many months.
My question is, How do you know what is tendon pain and not just muscle soreness? I know that levaquin can cause tendon problems, and since I already don't walk at all, I want to avoid any further problems.
I feel that after taking it twice now, that I am having muscle herxes- but am I? Is there a definitive way to diferentiate between the two?
Thanks! All answers are greatly appreciated!
Posts: 85 | From Eugene | Registered: Jun 2005
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How does one know if it's dangerous to push through, which is usually what I do.
I already have sharp pains at times on any given body part. Cripes.
Can anyone tell me if it's reversible?
-------------------- Stella Marie Posts: 694 | From US | Registered: Apr 2005
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
If the pain is in the muscle, away from the bone, then it is probably muscle and not tendon. In my experience, I feel tendon pain right where it meets the bone, and then it may spread from that spot.
I know people who have had pain last after Levaquin. I had really bad muscle pain during Levaquin, and I improved tremendously on it.
The other tendon damage issue is that people on quionolines are known to tear tendons more easily. Unfortunately, there is no real sign for this.
I wouldn't add any new exertion to your lifestyle while on Levaquin. Be careful with anything that really stretches tendons, like putting a suitcase in an overhead storage.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sorry if I'm redundant, if I'm now using light weights and walking/running on a treadmill it's ok to keep these activities up as long as I don't increase variables?
But something new like yoga would be better later?
-------------------- Stella Marie Posts: 694 | From US | Registered: Apr 2005
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Foggy
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Member # 1584
posted
My calves began to got very sore on Levaquin and I had to stop.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
I had two weeks of Levaquin two years ago and am still having trouble with tendon damage from it. I would stop the drug immediately & call your doc if you feel any burning pain where tendons or ligaments meet bone. Both my elbows began burning after doing just some light shearing--thereafter it hurt to even pick up a jug of milk, and it took a year to come even close to normal. If I do anything that requires much weight lifting or exertion, they start to get inflamed again. Most recently, I have had problems with some of my toe tendons burning when going up on the ball of my foot. Whether that is residual changes from the Levaquin or a reaction to some Prima Una de Gato (TOA free Cat's Claw herb)that I had been taking, I don't know. There was a past post saying if you reacted to the quinovic acid in fluroquinolines like Levaquin & Cipro, you may also in the Cat's Claw, possible from not being able to clear them from your system. It made sense to me, and I decided to stop taking the latter, just in case. The tendon damage is very ssslllloooooowwwww to heal, I can tell you. So please be careful!
Posts: 193 | From Virginia | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Virginia- In those 2 weeks of levaquin, were you taking it every day? What was the dosage and amounts if you remember?
Thanks. I am trying to garner as much info as I can to figure out if after only 2 doses am I having a herx or are my tendopns implicated.
Posts: 85 | From Eugene | Registered: Jun 2005
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
With me when I moved it hurt bad down deep when you elongated the muscles thats when it hurt at first then I got sore just moving around its a deep down around the bone.Ypull know because its different from the normal aches sorness of lyme. I wish I had known what I just told you I tore 2 big tendons in both legs snapp and its loud and you can feel the mucle & tendon roll up under your mucles it hurts pretty bad.
Even after I got off the levaquin my legs would for over a year get the same soreness back when I would move to quickly.
Best thing move slower no quick push offs or carring anything heavy.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
quote:Originally posted by stella marie: Thanks Aniek.....
Sorry if I'm redundant, if I'm now using light weights and walking/running on a treadmill it's ok to keep these activities up as long as I don't increase variables?
But something new like yoga would be better later?
I can't answer that for sure, because I just don't know. I did continue to use weight machines, but I cut back a little on the ones that were tough.
My understanding is that the tendon damage like tree mentions can just happen to people even who don't overexert. It's rare, but there are a few people on this bored who have mentioned it.
Sorry I can't be clearer. My LLMD told me I could continue to exercise. She also mentioned some of the tendon pain caused on Levaquin is because it gets deeper into tissue than other abx. So it is killing the bacteria deeper.
She thinks that is one of the reasons it can cause damage too. The tendon is already infectd, and then the bacteria begin to die in the tendon.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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I just wanted to also chime in with my experience with the quinalones -I have been on both Cipro orals and Levaquin IV and have had very bad results from both but mainly - Cipro was the worst though,
On the Cipro (Floraquinalone) I was taking an oral dosage of 500 mg. (2x day,) I had immediate pain in my achilles tendons and calf area ..and aditionl joint pain as well tht my have been a herx- the tendon stuff is not a herx
I actually could not walk the pain was so severe. It felt extremely tight as well- like a taught & painful rubberband if I attempted to walk , and my shoulder also had similar pain at a later time - of use, additionally increased joint pain in places I did not usually have severe pain.
I didn't leave my home for days and stayed off it..in a couple day after discontinued use of cipro the pain improved .
I had been prescribed Cipro 500 mg ( 2x day) for two weeks with doxy 100 mg(2x day) in combo along with whatever intense combos of IV abx. meds that I had been on at that same time( I was on 15 mo. Iv total- continuously)
I double checked by seperating the cipro & Doxy pills out ,tried Doxy oral alone and that was fine,without tendon pain,or significant issues. But Then tried the cipro alone - it was the culprit for sure as the tendon pain returned again right away ,during this time I damaged my lower back while doing nothing more than normal activaties -not anything strenuous.
I saw a chiropractor as a new patient about a week later at the 1st available appt. for shoulder and low back pain/intense and eventually bilateral wrist pain too.. I had stopped it Cipro immediately and only took the Doxy, I told My LLMD and he agreed that was the right thing to do, but noted we would give it a try again later on.( I said I would rather not) About 4 or 5 weeks later I was told to go back on Cipro/ doxy by the P.A. ... I protested w/ an explaination as to why but did not want to be seen as uncooperative w/ my treatmet plan so did as I was told she said that I should be able to try to get thru just one week a month in addition to many many other abx. I was on monthly ( both IV combos & oral combos)..I had nothing but big problems,My back has NEVER been the same.My shoulder and then both wrists too, and the low back radiates to buttocks, hip, upper thigh . I have nerve damage in the wrists and bi- lateral carpal tunnel which began during those months of on & off cipro regimines. I have been seeing a local MD for back, Intense low back & radiating hip pain ( Fo that I take 120 Vicadin & 90 darvocet- both are narcotics , I have now been on these just to get thru each day for three years and they honestly just take a bit of the edge off and make me be able to get out of bed,I have trieed most everything from vax D, triggerpoint injections - for years and have seen a local MD & a chiro, among others ever since this started, I am also starting with a ortho - I am even willling to get surgury if it would help somehow and additionally still have shoulder and calf tendon pain but thats more modrate,I get I no longer can work( not for 2 1/2 years). , this class of drug can have very severe side effects for quite some time after y0u take it- you can continue to damage tendons and joints or ? whatever else doing normal daily mildly exertive things.. It can damage for months,and months after your last dose."
Now all that said.. some people have no poblems from it at all, but if you do.. I WOULD STOP IMMEDIATELY, and be extrremely careful to not do any strenuous activity for quite some time just to be sure.
Do searches on the internet , there are actualluy groups, and sites dedicated to floraquinalone damage.
Just an additional note , ABout a month after the many weekly rounds of Cipro .
I was put on IV Levaquin 750 mg. 1 x day w/ bromelain and other assorted abx. ( it was insisted on by the P.A. & LLMD as well- as this was my last unused option for IV before straight orals only and ..
I did have similar problems with Levaquin- but its hard to differentiate due to the Cipro issues not being resolved ,but it was not as pronounced tendon issues as with the Cipro and when infusing Levaquin it did create heart pains, that often continued after infusion for a short while at least, dizzy ,joint pain was worse,even in new areas which may have been just a herx as most went away after stopping levaquin, but so much that began during all this has never improved,or gone away.
I just stoppped alltogether using levaquin and now 3 years after my 1st cipro dose ,I have still not recovered from the pain /damage- which by my doctors account is likely permenant and the quinalones caused this not lyme-
Some things can be herxs ,Most of us are used to many bizzare possible herxs's or increase of symptoms , but some things really can result in permenant damage.Always err on the side of caution when a Quinalone is involved.
I had only minor hand & knee pain with lyme even after 7 years when I was first diagnosed, and of course a multitude of cognitive , cns,memory, neuro stuff, about 35 total lyme symptoms ..none that involved very severe & never-ending pain.. its now been 10 total years with Lyme ,I was only dx. & began tx. in sept 2002..
But now the neuro- late stage Lyme has actually become my secondary issue - Chronic pain is my main issue.
-------------------- Sandi ( badkitti30043) Posts: 664 | From Atlanta Ga. | Registered: Aug 2002
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